sonography of 2/3 trimester Flashcards
What does the sonographer determine after fetal position is conceptiualized?
Left and right side of fetus
What is the suggested protocol?
survey of uterus, cervix, LUS and adnexa
fetal cardiac activity
fetal position
placental location
AFI 4 quadrants
anatomy survey of fetus
perform biometric measurements of fetus
Why is it important to constantly be aware of the left and right side of the fetus?
to correctly assess fetal anatomy and situs
What are the different fetal presentations?
oblique
transverse lie
breech
vertex (cephalic)
What are the different kinds of breech postions?
Complete breech
incomplete breech (one foot down into the pelvis)
frank breech (both feet up by the face, butt into the pelvis
What are the longitudinal presentations?
longitudinal lie - cephalic presentation (head down)(aka vertex)
longitudinal lie breech presentation (head up)
What are the transverse presentations?
head - maternal left, spine toward mom’s head
head - maternal right, spine toward mom’s feet
What are some ways to keep track of fetal left and right?
if fetal stomach lies on fetal left side, then you can determine left and right based on the position of the stomach
gallbladder on right side and APEX of heart pointing toward fetal left side…verified by their relationship to the stomach
What is the roll of the placenta?
to permit exhange of oxygenated maternal blood with deoxygenated fetal blood
maternal vessels coursing posterior to placenta circulate blood into placenta
blood from fetus reaches this point through the umbilical cord
what is PCI?
Placenta Cord Insertion
What is AFI?
amniotic fluid index
allows fetus to move freely within amniotic cavity
maintains intrauterine pressure and protects developing fetus from injury
umbilical cord and membranes, lungs, skin, and kidneys all contribute to production of amniotic fluid
What accounts for most of the total volume of amniotic fluid by second half of pregnancy?
fetal urination into amniotic sac
quantity of fluid is directly related to ______
kidney function
fetus
what structure is critically dependent on exhange of amniotic fluid within ______
normal lung development
lungs
When does the volume of amniotic fluid increase until which week?
34th then slowly diminishes
must be aware of relative differences in amniotic fluid volume throughout pregnancy
fluid surrounding fetus should be readily apparent
In the normal fetal brain parenchyma appears ______
hypoechoic
small size reflectors and high water content in tissue
slucus and gyrus more echogenic
What brain structures do we need to take pictures of?
cerebellum
choroid plexus
cisterna magna
lateral cerebral ventricles
midline falx
cavum septum pellucidi (CSP)
what are the midline structures?
interhemispheric fissure,
midline falx,
falx cerebri -
observed as membrane separting brain into two equal hemispheres
What is the fetal ventricular system?
consists of
two paried lateral ventricles,
midline third ventricle,
fourth ventricle adjacent to cerebellum
what does the ventricular system contain?
CSF - cerebral spinal fluid
How do you measure the ventricle?
locate atrium
measure directly across posterior portion
measure perpendicular to long axis of ventricle rather than the falx
place calipers at junction of ventricular wall and lumen or cavity of ventricle
What will fill lateral ventricle in normal pregnancy?
glomus or body of choroid plexus
What is the widest transverse diameter of the skull?
biparietal diameter - BPD
this is the proper level to measure the BPD and the HC
What is one way to proceed systematically through assessment and measurement of the fetus?
by moving from fetal head to feet obtaining anatomy images and measurement at each level
When there is severe oligohydraminos present, inadequate lung development occurs. What is the fetus at high risk for?
developing small or hypoplastic lungs
Branches of what artery run within the midline sulci and may be seen to pulsate within echogenic structures?
anterior cerebral artery
Why is the midline falx important landmark to visualize?
because its presence implies that separation of cerebrum has occured
What is it within the lateral ventricles that produces CSF?
choroid plexus tissue
where is choroid plexus tissue located?
within roofs of each ventricle except at frontal ventricular horns
In the lateral ventricles, what does a normal atrium measure? this is very important to know…
6.5 mm
if atrium measures >10mm it warrants serial imaging and further evaluation
What might the fetus have if the gloms appears to float or dangle within the ventricle cavity?
it is a sign of abnormally enlarged or dilated ventricles
VENTRICULOMEGALY
What are frontal horns?
frontal horns of ventricles are seen as two diverging echo-free structures within the frontal lobes of brain
When are the frontal horns prominent?
in the presence of ventricular dilation
what is the corpus callosum?
echogenic structure seen in transverse plane as a band of tissue between frontal ventricular horns.
How do you image the cerebral peduncles?
as transducer moves toward base of skull, heart-shaped cerebral peduncles imaged
similar in shape to thalamus but smaller
What artery is observed between lobes of peduncles at the interpeduncular cistern?
basilar artery
Where is the cerebellum located?
in back of cerebral peduncles within posterior fossa
what are the cerebellar hemispheres joined together by?
cerebellar vermis
why is it important to recognize usual configuration of cerebellum?
distortion my represent findings suggestive of OPEN SPINA BIFIDA
Where is the Cisterna magna located?
lies directly behind cerebellum
posterior fossa cistern filled with CSF
What does a normal appearing cisterna magna exclude?
almost all open spinal defects
The Cisterna magna is almost always effaced (thinned out) or obliterated in fetuses with what condition?
the Arnold-Chiari malformation changes associated with spina bifida
When you are evaluating the nuchal skin fold, what other anatomy will be in the plane where you will measure the thickness?
CSP
Cerebellum
Cisterna Magna
What is the normal thickness of the nuchal skin fold up to 20 weeks gestation?
5mm or less
What are fetuses with thickened nuchal skin at an increased risk for?
aneuploidy
What is aneuploidy?
a condition in which the chromosome number is not an exact multiple of the number characteristic of a particular species
an extra or missing chromosome
What cavity lies between the thalami?
the third ventricle
in the same scanning plane, box shaped CSP observed anterior to thalamus
What position does the fetus need to be in order for the orbital distances to be measured?
occipitoposterior position (fetal orbits directed up)
in this view orbital rings, lens, nasal structures may be demonstrated